Shooting estate frequented by royalty hit with penalty after wildlife crime claim

A COUNTRY estate said to be one of the finest places to hunt grouse and red deer in Scotland and frequented by royalty has been slapped with three years of restrictions after police were alerted about a poisoned eagle.
The Invercauld Estate, which borders the Queen's holiday home at Balmoral in Royal Deeside had been allowed a “general licence”, which allowed the killing of common birds in certain circumstances.

Now Scotland's wildlife agency NatureScot has restricted the use of general licences on part of the 84,016-acre estate sporting estate near Braemar, which has been a shooting spot for royalty.
The restriction does not apply to the shooting of game birds.

A spokesman for the estate said the property encompasses a "wide area" and the restriction notice applies to a "corner amounting to less than 18% of the estate" and that the restriction does not imply responsibility on individuals or the estate itself.

What is one of the largest estates in Scotland has very close links to the royals, with the Queen being good friends with the late laird Captain Alwyne Compton Farquharson